Tacoma Rust Prevention Experiment

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I just sprayed my 2014 Reg Cab Tacoma with this Amsoil HD MP stuff. My buddy has a lift. We drank a few beers, got high on smelling that crap. Make sure you leave a door open. His dog came into the shop and boy oh boy he didnt stick around long! I used 3 cans of the stuff.

Ask me in couple years if it works. I paid $9 a can.

 

subd

 

How are your 12's doing? Anything yet?

Dan

 

AAAAAANDD???

 

Thick tar undercoats do the best job... IF they are properly maintained, and IF they are applied to a NEW frame rather than one that's already rusted.

Like you mention, they can dry and crack as the thinning agent evaporates. So in order to maintain them, you need to apply something that will soak in to it and keep it soft. That means oil. Hose the stuff down with oil, and the oil will *soak in* to the tar to keep it soft and flexible.

I do a two year maintenance cycle on my undercoating, start off with a new vehicle and apply a good coat of tar, then next year a coat of oil, then back to tar, oil, tar, oil, etc.

The nice thing about the oil coat, is that it not only softens up the tar, but it also repels water.

 

Partly through the holes in the frame that you are talking about, but the major weak points are the FRONT CAB MOUNTS.

A very casual look at the cab mounts would suggest that the frame "under" them is continuous, with the cab mounts just welded on the outside. Unfortunately, this is NOT the case. There is, in fact, a GREAT BIG HOLE in the frame rail, that is hidden by each of the front cab mounts. If you look carefully up through the cab mount towards the frame (with a flashlight), you can actually see it.

Pay particular attention to the section of the frame that is exposed to salt by this opening. Note that it corresponds precisely to that section by the catalytic converter that we can think of as "ground zero". Also note the location of the cab mount with respect to the wheel, especially all that salty water that sprays up off the wheel.

In other words, when you drive through salty/wet/slushy mess in the winter, it sprays off the wheel, STRAIGHT up into the cab mount, which *FUNNELS* it into the frame, right at that point where they are known to rust.

If you want to preserve the frame, you want to plug up the cab mounts so water will no longer enter the frame from there.

 

Any suggestions on what to use?

 

FWIW - I bought a new 2015 Tacoma in Sept and live in a salt heavy part of the world. I had the truck undercoated with Krown rustproofing within a couple of weeks. While washing the truck in November (2 months after treatment), I noticed that the frame did not bead up any more. I did a test area in the front wheel well where I sprayed the frame with fluid film. Another section with Krown and another section with rust check. The fluid film is still beading after 2+ months. I have a climate and humidity controlled garage and hate parking it when damp / dirty so I religiously spray off the truck with a power washer weekly before putting it in the garage to dry out. The section with the fluid film continues to bead. I am quite impressed and will definitely be spraying off the undercarriage / frame with degreaser in the spring, checking for and cleaning up any surface rust before coating with Fluid film. I bought my truck to last for 10 years and will spend the time a couple of times each year to make sure it is well coated.

 

That will protect the outside, but it's thei side that's most important on this frame it seems. I haven't looked at the cab mounts to see what tgear is talking about. Wondering how big of a hole we're talking about. I used black gorilla tape to cover the small holes they didn't make plugs for in the wheel well a couple of years ago and the tape is still good.

 

I recently started using the WD40 Long Term Corrosion Inhibitor from Wally world at $12 at pop. It works great but leaves the waxy coating which attracts dirt.
On my 1996 Taco I used the Rust-Oelum spray that changed rust to a paintable black surface. I also used this on my 06 Taco until I read about the WD40 product on a gun maintenance forum. Seems it protects bare metal a very long time on some individual tests.
I recently used two cans of the WD40 product and after driving a while I noticed some burning smell when stopped. I carry a fire extinguisher now just in case.
Even in Florida the rust on these trucks is shameful.

 

How long doe sit usually take for it to cure? Does it really "dry to the touch" as the can says?

 

"
If you want to preserve the frame, you want to plug up the cab mounts so water will no longer enter the frame from there.

"
What would you cover them up with? load caulk ? Cover that section with something? Someone said tape it up but it would look bad. Too bad they dont sell a cover for that area.

 

I had a hard time visualizing what the cab mount area looked like, so I did some googling and watched some YouTube vids of people chopping the area in question in order to fit bigger tires. The area is in the wheel well, where your mud flaps are.

It looks like the stock mud flaps are covering this area on my truck so I'm not sure what else I could do?

 

Th

 

You can feel.the gap with your finger above the exposed frame between the top of the cab mount and body in the front wheelwell. There is s gap where water sprays from the tire and goes in the frame. The mud flap dosent cover it. They should have extended the plastic wheelwell insert to cover this.

 

Is this opening missing on the first gens? I just spent a few minutes shoving my fingers into the frame holes and couldn't find the any openings by the cab mounts.

Yes. I couldn't find the hole. Have a laugh. Answer my question.

 

Well... we *are* in the 2nd gen section...
To (not) answer your question, I've never really looked at a 1st gen, so I haven't the faintest idea.

 

I found where you're talking about. I can get my index finger in there. I have no idea what to do with that hole beyond covering it with tape. Ideally someone would make a plastic plug to pop in there.

The good news is that there is a giant hole directly under the opening, so the amount of water that can filter in is limited. I'll take some pics when I have time to illustrate it.

 

I grew up there and its just as bad out here in Northern Alberta. That's s great idea and I'm gonna copy your lead on my next new truck!